Hi folks. I've been using Windows 8 for a couple of months now. And overall, I like it. However, this one thing constantly gets on my nerves. It's system restore. (System Protection -> System Restore). I always disable system restore. (since Windows XP days). I just don't like it. And Windows XP, Vista and 7 always *stayed* disabled once I well.. disabled it. However, in Windows 8, this sucker won't stay disabled. So, I now have a new daily habit of checking if system restore is disabled (or not). It's disabled now but tomorrow or the next day, it will turn itself on again. :-( I've done several format and clean install, no dice. Is there a way to permanently disable system restore for good ? (registry?)
try: Code: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore\Setup_Last] "Unattend_DisableSR"=dword:00000001 or start group policy editor (Run: gpedit.msc) goto: Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates > System > System Restore At right pane, double-click "Turn off Configuration". Select "Enabled". Click "OK". Double-click "Turn off System Restore". Select "Enabled" Click "OK".
@EC51, +1 I'm with you, I've found that System Restore is only occasionally useful (meaning working to resolve a problem, or even working at all) so I've disabled it since XP on my own systems and on other's systems I've worked on too, when I implement some third-party backup program; otherwise I leave it on.
If you've disabled it since XP, how would you know if it's any good? System restore on pre-SP1 XP was severely flawed but the SP1 version worked much more successfully. The Vista and Win7 versions were even better. System restore isn't for every problem but it is another layer of protection that you can try before re-imaging your drive. If your drive image is corrupted, which has happened to me before with Acronis, then you are SOL. Also, re-imaging isn't something you want to do often if you have an SSD because of thre large amount of data being written.
If you're addressing the OP instead of me, disregard. Of course I re-tried System Restore every once in a while. I agree with your statements about the improvements over time. I have yet to have an SSD. I accumulate data way to fast and have enough money way too little to spend my money on anything but huge hard drives when I get a chance. With each new OS version (Vista, 7, 8) or major update (SP1, SP2...) I kept System Restore on until I had a real-world reason to try to use it. Almost always for something relatively simple, not for a virus or a totally screwed system or anything. I would guesstimate that 30% of the time System Restore completed successfully - whether that solved the problem or not, and 70% of the time System Restore wouldn't even complete. In some of these cases this was on fairly fresh installations, less than a month old. I meant to add that with each new OS version, System Restore reliability has improved, especially over that in XP, but once System Restore fails for me, I just start turning it off each new installation of mine. Heck, under Windows 8 with RecImg and RecImg Manager (third party simple GUI for RecImg), it's so far very fast and reliable for me. FYI I had similar experience (as System Restore) with the built-in backup feature starting with Windows Vista, including with Windows 7 and Windows 8 (Windows 7's solution comes with Windows 8). Again, each time I try it until a real world reason comes up... In most cases, the backup program eventually, sooner than later, fails to finish backing up for no explainable reason. Sometimes a reboot solved it, but most of the time once it quit working it would never work for me again. This is under many, many separate installations of Windows XP through 8 on well over a dozen different PCs of mine and others who I've worked on. I have also used Acronis in the past, and Norton Ghost, PQI DriveImage or whatever it was before Symantec bought it, and others, and you're right when images are corrupt you're SOL. I've had that happen far less for me than incomplete System Restores, though. With RecImg I haven't had a reason to resume imaging yet, though. I consider my installations reasonably disposable since I keep data separate and backed up.
OP. I have had this happen so many times as well. It has to be a Windows 8 bug? People that are a fan of system restore. Get a real nasty on a machine and see how it goes working with that. It resides in 2 places instead of one. Getting back to Windows 8 turning system restore back on automatically. I don't know why it is so insistent on doing so. Like I said. I am guessing a bug. At the same time. I don't see how MS would over look this.
I though it was odd when i found it turned back on on my SSD. So i am not the only one. Thanks for the registry hack. I see that windows 8 has some maintenance tasks maybe one of them is turning this back on.
I've only ever had it FAIL once. And that was MY fault, not the software. I'll take system-imaging and System Restore over the (IMO) useless Reset and Refresh any day.
The point being that calling the Reset feature useless when it's allowing you to revert to a image of your Install you created is
I DID say 'in my opinion', it's not Holy writ. My current system works perfectly for me, so why should I change what works. Not saying you're wrong.